Seismic communication

Vibrational communication

Dispersion of Rayleigh waves in a thin gold film on glass [1]

Golden mole dipping its head into sand to detect seismic waves

Seismic or vibrational communication is a process of conveying information through mechanical (seismic) vibrations of the substrate. The substrate may be the earth, a plant stem or leaf, the surface of a body of water, a spider's web, a honeycomb, or any of the myriad types of soil substrates. Seismic cues are generally conveyed by surface Rayleigh or bending waves generated through vibrations on the substrate, or acoustical waves that couple with the substrate. Vibrational communication is an ancient sensory modality and it is widespread in the animal kingdom where it has evolved several times independently. It has been reported in mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, insects, arachnids, crustaceans and nematode worms.^[1] Vibrations and other communication channels are not necessarily mutually exclusive, but can be used in multi-modal communication.